An Open Letter to Coach Curry

Alright, I was hoping it wouldn’t come to this but I see no other choice. Five losses in a row? Losing by ten to the freaking Thunder?!? Alas, I’m preaching to the choir.

Dear Coach Curry,

Small ball must die. Now. Well technically this should have occurred weeks ago, but us fans would be happy just to see some semblance of activity in your cranial matter so now shall suffice.

What on earth is it doing for us that is good? Outrebounded, outhustled, outworked. Five in a row. Five! That’s the most consecutive losses in five years for our beloved Pistons. Five is not a good number right now, my friend.

We’ve tried to be patient. We’ve made every excuse in the book. “Well, Rip and Sheed were injured so maybe they just needed to get back in shape.” That didn’t do it. Amir might not be the second coming of Jesus but he’s certainly active on the boards and has a discernible effect on the game whenever he’s on the floor. Yes he fouls too much and yes he isn’t Rodman in his prime but he isn’t going to learn by sitting courtside. Why in the heck is Maxiell riding the pine when we can’t control the glass? The sheer idiocy (again, we know you’re the professional and all… but sooner or later things just don’t add up) of the moves – or lack thereof – is mindboggling!

This whole Rip / A.I. telenovela (due credit to DBB commenters here – great title, guys) is worse than the fact that 90210 is back on television. If you’re the player’s coach that they respect that holds everyone accountable and makes the right moves… well, MAKE THE RIGHT MOVES! It’s one thing to play around with lineups when you add a new player mid-season (hey, we understand no training camp affects the whole shebang) but it’s another to consistently keep throwing out five (see? i wasn’t kidding – five’s a bad number right now!) guys who don’t fit together. Whoah, sorry about all the parenthesis there. You can’t even manage a lineup so I don’t mean to do anything else to confuse you right now.

Factiousness aside, we’re only acting like this because we care. We truly care about this team and know we’ve been spoiled with so many consecutive trips to the ECF. But we also hold people accountable (novel idea, eh?) for our team and want to see results. So please Coach Curry, please start acting like, you know, a coach. We’ve already gotten rid of Matt Millen once around these parts and don’t need a second coming.

it could be a chance that Rip is the problem, maybe he doesn’t fit in with the chemistry of this new team, we did fine without him, he doesn’t want to come off the bench, he would be a good trade value for a solid scorer who might be willing to come off the bench, the starting lineup cant include both him and AI, AI is getting too much money to be benched plus he fits in nicely with Stuckey, small ball isn’t all Curry’s fault, he did the right thing in starting stuckey, it’s just that guys starting arent willing to go to the bench, but yeah the maxiell and johnson thing is not right

i think that making curry as coach this season was not a good decision. im sure there were a lot of other coaches with much more experience who definitely would have been able to do a better job at creating some chemistry. risking a veteran, championship caliber team with a rookie head coach?

Didn’t even watch last night,if they were playing
and losing but really trying I could stomach it.
But this is a mess!They will be a 500 team I hope.
How can a team that just won so many in a row now lose 5?Mental weakness?
I hate to say it but they do remind me of the tigers.
I hope they don’t end in the celler in the central!
Especially for antonio’s sake.
Hell he should of stayed in denver!

It is funny because I was always one that hated the fanboys who whined for flip or l.b. or carlisle to be fired. But I’m going to say it … Curry needs to lose his job. It would be one thing if they were struggling but it looked like he was being smart about things. I just don’t think he’s got it. And Dumars needs to pull the plug. all that cap space won’t mean jack if in two years we sink to a mediocre, bottom of the playoff bracket team. And we will lose stuck to free agency when his rookie contract is up. So who is going to start up firecurry.com?

GET CURRY OUT OF HERE PLEASE !!! SMALL BALL IS WORTHLESS WITH THIS TEAM, AND IF YOU CANT SEE THAT YOU SHOULDNT BE A COACH OF A CITY LEAGUE TEAM LET ALONE A PROFESSIONAL TEAM. WIN SEVEN IN A ROW WITH A NORMAL ( AND NOT EVEN A STARTING) LINE UP. AND PLAY GOOD DEFENCE , WHICH IS WHAT THE PISTONS DO, OR LOSS 5 STRAIGHT WITH GOD AWFUL DEFENCE WITH SMALL BALL. ITS PRETTY OBVIOUS. SORRY RIP OR AI BUT SOMEONE HAS TO SIT. AND TO ME ITS RIP, ITS A WHAT HAVE YOU DONE FOR ME LATELY LEAGUE AND WE HAVENT WON NOTHING WITH RIP STARTING, SO ITS TIME TO FIND OUT WHAT AI CAN DO. IF NOTHING, O WELL, WE HAVE DONE NOTHING WITH RIP. BUT DONT GET ME WRONG I WILL ALWAYS BE GREATFUL FOR THE CHAMPIONSHIP RIP AND EVERY OTHER PISTONS BROUGHT IN 2004, BUT ITS 2009 NOW.

Honestly, these comments really upset me. Why should Rip be benched? He has been here a much longer time than A.I. and he’s playing a ton better than him. For having to be forced into a position where he had to play small forward, he is doing a good job at both ends. Iverson is really the problem for me. He’s playing the position that he has been playing his whole life and he looks like crap. You know, I could understand the A.I.-Chauncey trade even if it just made the team slightly better, but it has done the exact opposite. Now the team is ruined and I think it is up to Joe to make another big trade, because this obviously isn’t working. And what really bugs me is how all this talent is being wasted. We have so many great bench players but because A.I. has to get his 40 minutes there is no room for others to play. As for Coach Curry being the problem, I agree he’s not the best coach, but what really can he do? He’s in his first year and he has established players that would kill him if they didn’t start. He doesn’t have the experience for his players to really respect him and that really isn’t his fault. He needs to be fired but as for this season I believe the only solution is to trade A.I. for anything, honestly.

i don’t know… 7 game winning streak when hamilton wasn’t there… maxiell and amir played amazing in this stretch. now hamilton came back and we are here and find our selves in a 5 game losing streak. it’s not hamiltons fault… but this whole AI/Hamilton lineup doesn’t fit at all. we need a trade because even a 6th man hamilton would steal too much time from maxiel oder amir. sorry…

From the start I knew AI as not the answer. Lots of undisciplined guys like him get the press and fan following, but don’t make a team better. What made anybody believe AI was an answer in Detroit for anything? The small ball thing, when has that ever worked?

Why is the blame all going onto Curry? I’ve been blaming Curry for the small ball thing, but I think the letter should also be addressed to Mr. Dumars. I would love to see how Dumars would work out this problem that he dumped onto Curry.

Does anybody know how much power Dumars has over the lineup? Maybe it’s Dumars who is telling Curry to start.

The whole mess is getting to all of the players. It looks like they’ve given up. I wonder if Dyess is rethinking about the money he left on the table at Denver.

Great letter, perfectly expressed. Too bad the press thinks we’re overreacting. Did anyone hear Special K during post game, he stated that the coach has to stick with a lineup and rotation so guys can get comfortable in there roles, angers setting in.

Anyone notice Sheed doesn’t get in foul trouble anymore? He plays half ass defense and watches chumps like Rondo run right up on him. He plays good D at times but we need Max in for Sheed. The young guys want to win and are hungry. Get Curry out of here, I don’t ever want to see him again. I’m actually happy we’re losing, hopefully Joe D will get this clown outta town.

Okay..So i totally disagree with benching AI or RIP what i do think needs to happen is chemistry between all the players. With Rip, Tay, Sheed, and Chauncey they had such great chemistry you would think they hung out together every night and were best friends. With AI in this whole mix, i feel that all of them have to outshine each other. Still i think sheed tay and rip have the same chemistry but stuckey needs to control the team how billups did. and AI needs to know how to as well. So to this whole thing small ball really can work if we try to work as a team. If you saw Friday and Saturdays game..I give great effort to last night people were working together and then after a few minutes they stop working. I’m not talking about all the players. But i think it will work and i think they will realize now..I think they will start bonding because they are tired of losing and not working together. Dont bench them. Let them work it out and after a few more games you’ll see it will work

Curry, keeps on emphasizing that this team is a different team,and we only have 3 players left from the championship team. That’s no excuse, look at the Spurs, they only have 3-4 players left from their multiple championship team.

I hate to see this; As much as I hate Flip as a coach in the playoff. MC just made his job look so much harder. The only offense MC can run is pick and roll. That’s fucking pathetic!!

Lets bench all the starters except Stuckey, trade Rip, play all the young guys from now on, we’ll get the lottery pick!

There is no reason to give up on the season. Get a new coach, axe a player, bench a starter. Shake things up and win some games. Lets see if Joe D has the balls to fire his friend. If theres no panic in the front office then they all need to be axed. In sports the word panic is a sign of weakness, and they’ll never admit it, look at the Lions.

Its easy to tell the AI-haters by what they want done between him and Rip.. Trading AI is “we-tarted.”

I’m usually right about things.. I said “Fire Curry” before anyone had even thought about it, it was met with critism and these days “Fire Curry” is like freakin’ Hanah Montana.

Heres an over-the-top analogy for you…

We had a nice suit.. nothing special but everything seems to go together nicely. We needed to find a way to spice it up or it would continue to be mediocre. We traded our tie for an amazing pair of shoes. We started wearing a better, more “hip” tie in its place and that has worked out very well.. The issue now is we have two nice pairs of shoes. The old pair went our for repair and life was great with the new pair; the old pair came back and since then things have gone to shit. Were wearing both pairs of shoes? one pair we’re wearing on our hands… Also, we dont have pants on.

trade the old shoes for a nice pair of pants. They’re doing us no good on our hands.

I’m not blaming MC yet. I’m still blaming Joe Dumars. He got rid of Chauncey, let Ben get away, (he actually fit in with the Pistons–unlike Nazi, Webber, Kwame, etc.) and hired Flip Saunders. MC is a bit silly, but I’m still pissed at Joe. We didn’t exactly need another shooting guard; we needed a center. And yeah, yeah, “In Joe D. We Trust”…well I’ll shut up when he does something helpful, for a change.

Everytime people complain about MC, it always reminds me of the time when Dumars declared that he and MC think more alike compared than any other coach that he’s hired.

And guys, please stop comparing the Pistons’ current suckiness to 04’s initial suckiness. They actually tried back then, and were hungry, AND had LB….it isn’t the same now.

if i know that you are talking about rip then. ummm no we shouldnt trade him. his done so much good and its the chemistry between stuckey AI and Rip that just doesnt work so if we trade one whats that gonna do. rip has great chemistry with tay and sheed and dyess so changing one player who has some connections and not the one who doesnt makes no fucking sense. Just leave them alone. They work it out. they are the ones playing basketball not us. we aren’t out on the court so let them work there chemistry it will come. not everyone works well together at first you have to know the guy.

The truth is a rookie coach is not suited for this team. We needed a smart veteran coach (in the mold of a Larry Brown type or Poplovich) who knows how to handle a crop load of talented rookies and veterans who can be hard to coach and motivate at times.

What has baffled me with Curry is he stated that defense was his number one priority. So he backs that up with keeping Maxiell, arguably our best defensive player and a board monster on both ends, on the bench for multiple games. C’mon Curry, that makes no sense. You just seem lost out there coaching. And can defense be a #1 priority for you if your set on going small ball?

If I had to choose a starting lineup right now based on who wanted to WIN the most and played like it EVERY night, rather than on name recognition, our current starting lineup would have 4 going to the bench. What I’m trying to say is as much as Curry is messing the line-ups up right now, our team veterans (Sheed, Rip, Tay and AI) are not helping him out any. Sure, some have good nights, but you all know most of the time they just look damn lazy out there.

i disagree with them not trying. but you know i do agree with the coach needing to play others. Maybe you can keep the starting line up right and then curry has to be keeping them fresh he’s really running ai stuckey rip tay and sheed to death they play so much they must be tired so i think coach should try to substitute a lot more.

I was pissed the day they hired Curry. I wanted Laimbeer and Mahorn, or Avery Johnson. Michael Curry is the new Darko of this team, Pepe Sanchez, CHUMP. I watched the Cavs Celts game the other day, it was like watching a Pistons game from 04/05, exciting with no lack of hustle. No free agent is going to want to come here if we don’t fix this now.

I wouldnt say that Rip has more chemistry with the team than AI. I think all of Rips Chemistry was with Chauncey – they were kind of symbiotic. rip cut off of screens and chauncey got him the ball. He no longer has that connection with chauncey and AI doesnt need those screens to score so…. trade Rip.

I’m assuming thats why Joe D signed Rip to the contract he did before the Chauncey trade, so he could lock him in and get something for him rather than lose him to free agency.

I didn’t see the game but I was just looking over the nba play by play and I’m curious what were the lineups off the bench? I say this because It seems Max really was playing well and it looks like Rip Dyess and Arron and I can’t figure out who was the fifth guy. But they seemed to be playing well with that group. Then AI and Tayshaun are substituted in and the Hornets all of a sudden take the lead. Can anyone clarify what happened in the second quarter for me pleeeeeeeeeese.

chad considering the fact most of us didn’t even want him to be hired in the first place, makes it that much more impressive that you were saying fire him before any on us thought of it

I said I don’t like Curry and I don’t want him here simply for the fact I’m going to blame him exclusively for letting Lindsey Hunter go though more people are to blame for sure. And he is not ready for head coach. But we gotta put blame on the players too. We were attacking Flip constantly until we realized, maybe it wasn’t totally him.

When Curry was asked about 90 minutes before the New Orleans game if he’s convinced the small lineup can defend and rebound well enough to give the Pistons a chance to be successful, he didn’t beat around the bush.

“I haven’t been totally convinced yet,” he said. “I think we’re good enough, whichever way we decide to play, but we haven’t played defense and rebounded the ball as well as I would have liked with that group.” And then …

“So we’re really looking at today and Monday to see how our performance is. I’m not saying after that we’ll make another decision, but I thought regardless of the lineup, I thought if we shared the ball a little more and took care of some fast-break opportunities … we’re not talking like we are now, because we would have beat Charlotte and we would have beat Indiana and a tossup how that game in Oklahoma City would have gone.

Well i still think Rip had a lot more connections with the others not all with Chauncey yeah with chauncey there connection was really good. but no offense AI doesnt do that great of a job. he kind of needs those picks. our turnovers are half on him. even though i like AI i think he could work way harder on trying to connect with the team. he’s not doing a great job every interview ive seen its like him saying you know its so weird i dont have to score alot.. well duh this pistons team has such great depth in there bench scoring 30 a night isn’t really what we need.

JUST LET THEM PLAY!!!!!! god they’ll get there…if a new kid comes to school are you automatically best friends??? you need to know them first. so let them play…they arent even doing bad..yeah they may be doing worse then other years but have you thought that in past years we have had the same players to work with.

Well thought out. I agree with everything that you wrote in the letter. I’m getting so tired of the pistons losing. Something has to be done soon, or the Pistons are not going to do well for the rest of the season, and I know the fans would not want to see that happen.

I’m not going to lie, Natalie; I know you’re frustrated and all (like the rest of us,) but the letter is harsh and very insulting. This was Dumar’s pick for coach, and we pretty much all trust him, right? Do you not think Joe is aware of the situation? While I agree with you in theory, perhaps the open letter would be more appropriately addressed to Dumars about Curry. Or to Curry, but in a more professional manner. It pains me to say it, but I don’t think I can support you here.

Been a Pistons fan for a long time, been a reader of this blog for a few years now. You all know better. We aren’t even half way through the season and are still 9 games above 500. We didn’t freak out like this the year we won the whole thing. I think we need some perspective. How dare you mention this team in any way with Matt Millen or the Lions even if your are joking. It’s a long season and in Joe we trust.

Curry was the wrong choice. The Chauncey trade was wrong, not because we traded him, but because we needed to trade him for a banger at the 4 or 5 spot, a weakness at this point. It’s now what do we do? If you trade Hamilton for a Big, and assume that AI is gone next year, are you ready to commit to Afflalo at the 2, which would leave us to address the backups at the 2 & 3 spots. Ideally, we should trade AI for that Banger, but I don’t see who would do that at this point. I think Afflalo is close to ready. We would lose a little at the 2, but more than make up for it if Joe D gets it right at the 4 & 5, which he has done more often than not in the past. Joe D has had a bad year, but I don’t see that continuing. Go Pistons!

I’m angry at Joe D for hiring Curry. I’m angry at Curry for being clueless. Even IF this is a rebuilding year, we should make EVERY effort to play like championship contenders, not like chumps. I never thought I’d see the day when DBB would be mocked. We’re the laughing stock of the league now and I can’t stomach it! Joe D—if you’re listening, get Laimbeer or Nolan Richardson in here quickly.

Ryan Collins I thought the same thing until I looked under the title and realized she didn’t write the letter.

MikeyMo we freak out every year, it’s how people know we are invested in the team. But we all know small ball will never win a championship. There are too many weaknesses. For me I might not be so angry if Dyess didn’t come back just to be on a rebuilding team. Dyess needs Ice. And he’s working hard, whereas others on this team are not exactly looking beyond anything but themseves. Like Cassandra said above something has to be done. Plus we know this team is capable of a lot. We’re not going to be happy watching this team lose to likes of the Thunder, Pacers, and Bobcats.

But hey I think a little optimism might do this site some good, so keep on posting

I couldn’t agree more. So far, when the Pistons start a small ball lineup, they grab 47% of available rebounds. In games without a small ball starting lineup, they grab 50.5% of available rebounds. Each of the last 13 NBA Champions has grabbed more than 50% of rebounds.

I completely possess the same frustration as most Pistons fans. My sense about Curry is that he stubbornly sticks by his system, feels that his systems SHOULD work rather than adapt them. Remember earlier in the season, when he let the Bobcats cut our 28 point lead to 2 before he brought A.I. (who had the hot hand) back in because he felt the bench guys SHOULD be able to close it out? Yeah MC, they should be able to but when they can’t, then you have to do what needs to be done to win. I feel he sacrifices wins rather than admit he has been wrong.

At this point, I would like to see A.I. come off the bench. I’m not convinced that a trade is the answer when we have such a talented roster. Also, no offense to Need4Sheed but I would consider less minutes for Rasheed. I can’t remember him grabbing a single offensive rebound last night while Maxiell, in his short time out there, grabbed five.

Aside from everyone calling for Curry’s head, what else can be done to save this team from further embarrassment? How about a good trade? Seemed to work in 04 when they had a losing streak and traded for Sheed? What about that possibility? Maybe a good Center? Packaging RIP and maybe Kwame, Amir, or Maxiell. Hate to see any of them go but, why not? Could revitalize this team, because AI doesn’t mess well with Sheed, RIP’s lack of passion. Put him with the younger guys and Tay and this team could have more heart and grit than any team in the league.
Our problem is not lack of guards or forwards, its always been (since Ben left) our lack of a true center.

Wow, certainly more responses than even I saw coming on this one. Seems that most of you agree with my line of thought and I rubbed a few others the wrong way as expected.

There’s a ton of good points in the comments above and I absolutely agree that 100% of this isn’t on Curry. But he’s the leader and most everyone agrees that he’s left us scratching our heads way too much this season.

I’m honestly not even sure what the next step is, but am glad to have put words down that capture the heart of what most of us are feeling right now. Whether or not Curry has to go might not be the only question here… but whether or not he rights this ship and starts doing what he said he would do certainly is.

trading rip makes no sense. AI is gone after this year. who will we have for next year then… answer me that people!!!!
STOP hating on Rip. He is still one of the good ones left on this team that we ALL used to adore. what has happened???!!! What made u change ur minds.. o yeah, AI.

Why are you all guys saying trade like AI or Rip and get like a Boozer type player? Do you not realize how many bigs we have on this team? We don’t need another big. We are not even utilizing all of our bigs so first we need to use them and then maybe trade to get another big player.

Curry is garbage. I’ll never understand why with such credible coaches available over summer, we signed Curry to a deal.. what a joke. That’s just not even trying. What, did Dumars just not feel like interviewing people..?

Maxiell deserves to start because he hustles harder than anyone, and is a phenom on the boards and defense. Plus, it’s an added benefit that the Pistons crowd goes crazy whenever Maxiell scores/gets a block/ grabs a huge rebound. He’s a huge fan favorite.

Imagine Iverson coming off the bench. He could provide that spark off the bench much like Ginobili does for San Antonio. Ginobili doesn’t go all egotistic when he comes off the bench, he loves providing that spark. With Iverson AND McDyess doing that, you instantly add a lot more depth. And he can back up Stuckey/Hamilton.. meaning he can still get 30 minutes a game.

It does not require the utmost highest of IQ to figure out this small line-up isn’t working. Even if we would have beat Oklahoma City.. it would have been a slight win of maybe 1-5 points.

I TOTALLY AGREE WITH THIS ARTICLE! BUT MY RESPONSE IS TO (eralefe) AND ANYONE WHO THINKS RIP IS THE PROBLEM!! I DONT UNDERSTAND WHY PEOPLE WOULD WANT A PLAYER LIKE RIP TO COME OFF THE BENCH FOR A.I.!! I KNOW HE IS A PROLIFIC SCORER BUT HE LACKS A RING SOMETHING RIP HAS SO HE IS A PROVEN WINNER!! ALSO WHY ASK HIM TO COME OFF THE BENCH THIS YEAR FOR A.I. WHO WE ALL KNOW WONT BE HERE NEXT YEAR THEN NEXT YEAR WANT TO TELL RIP THIS IS YOUR TEAM THATS A INSULT IN ITS OWN RIGHT! WHEN HAS MONEY EVER BEEN AN ISSUE IN WINNING GAMES? eralefe PLEASE TELL ME WHY A.I. SHOULD START CAUSE OF HIS CONTRACT!! ALL IM SAYING IS THAT IF YOU SIT RIP DONT GIVE HIM HIS JOB BACK NEXT YEAR ONCE THE PISTONS DONT RE SIGN A.I.!! IF IT COMES TO THAT JUST GET YOUNGER TALENT FOR RIP AND TRADE HIM! FACE IT THE REBUILDING PROCESS IS ALMOST IN EFFECT!

ANOTHER THING WHILE ITS ON MY MIND! HAVE PEOPLE NOT SEEN THAT HAVING AN UNDER SIZE SHOOTING GUARD WILL ONLY LEAD TO MORE PTS FOR THE OPPOSITION!! WHO HAS A.I. SHUT DOWN EVER IN HIS CAREER? I DONT AGREE WITH STARTING SOMEONE WHO’S MENTALLY IS IM A SCORE MORE THAN YOU!! PEOPLE FORGET WHY THE PISTONS ALWAYS HAD THEIR WAY WITH THE SIXERS DURING THE PLAYOFFS!! PUT THAT LIL GUY ON YOUR BACK AND GO SCORE ITS THAT EASY!! THATS WHATS BEING DONE TO THE PISTONS NOW!!! ALSO eralefe IF ITS ABOUT MONEY WHY MAXIELL IS NOT STARTING HE MAKES MORE THAN ALL THE OTHER BIGS WHO PLAY BEFORE HIM SO WHAT SOMEONE IS MAKING IS BOGUS HOMIE!! IM JUST IRRATE ON HEARING THE PROS AND CONS ON THE 2 PLAYERS (HAMILTON & A.I) WHEN ALL THESE A.I. LOVERS ARGUMENTS ARE KINDA RIDICULOUS!!!! A CONTRACT NEVER WON A CHAMPIONSHIP!!!!! WINNING A CHAMPIONSHIP HAVE MADE PEOPLE EARN A NICE CONTRACT!!!
FOOD FOR THOUGHT!!

Hey Nat I’m hearing you got a fan who posted a sign or something. Do you (or anyone) got a video so I can see it?

DisplacedPistonFan
haha if you do it, remember to be stealthy. Pretend to be a candy gram then sing the letter to him when you get to him

PISTONSNEEDCHANGE!!!
I could be wrong but you sound a little upset. Not sure why I’m getting that impression could be the mildly harsh tone, the name, or possibly the all caps post I don’t know. But you make some good points. One of them I didn’t even think of. Another reason to keep Rip in the starting lineup is because AI won’t even be here next year. Why annoy him further after you just gave him an extension for the guy who isn’t here for the long haul.

I’ve been following the pistons for awhile. I’ve liked them every since they were the bad boys. I’ve also been and AI fan every since he was in college. My question is if you brought AI here to be AI then let him be AI. I know the pistons have all these scorers on their team, but yet they are at to bottom of the league in scoring points. If you look at everyone who has won a championship in the last couple of years they all have someone who can create their own shot when it’s crunch time. Rip is good but he’s not AI. I actually think Stuckey is going to be great in a couple of years, but it should be time to move on. If the same team went to the eastern conference finals for what six straight years and won how many championships. It’s time for a change. Look at the Celtics everyone put away their egos and played ball. You had Paul Pierce who had been with his team longer than any in the NBA let Garnett and Allen get their time in the light. If the Pistons want to win they need to do the same. If you look at how many shots AI takes now compared to how many he was taking, looks like he’s trying to be a team player. If he’s here to take over games when the teams needs it let him do that. If everyone plays their role, the Pistons will win. If you’ve ever played organized basketball you know how hard it is to adjust to different players. If the coach takes over and coaches the Pistons will be fine.

Curry needs a reality check. AI is a superstar, and one of the best players that ever played the game. How can you have your superstar come off the bench. You still talking about Chauncey. AI went in and beat Chauncey’s team. The team were winning before Rip came back. I noticed every time Iverson is having a hot hand, Curry takes him off the court. Why is that? Iverson needs to stay on the floor because he scores in bundles. Curry is not a real coach. They need an experienced coach. Stuckey makes stupid decisions. AI, Rasheed, Mcdyess, Tayshaun, Maxiel. Rip and Stuckey off the bench.

to str8 up trade rip or a.i
see if u trade rip n maxiell to the raptors for bosh becuase the raptors noe that hes gonna leave so just make a run at him noe skip 010 n keep bosh extent his contract to 2011 n sign wade or t-mac n we str8 n skip boozer we cant get him he wants a 6 year deal
or trade ai for bosh n kapono thats gr8 u get a good all star n a great 3 point shooter

SO, FIRST WE HIRE A NO NAME HEAD COACH, THEN TRADE BILLUPS FOR A.I.!OK I UNDERSTAND WE HAVE A GREAT AMOUNT OF CAP ROOM AND STUCKEY IS OUR FUTURE PG.BUT WE ARE STILL MISSING THAT SHOT BLOCKING AND DEFENSIVE THREAT IN THE POST.DEFENSE WINS GAMES NOT SMALL BALL! FIRE CURRY,AND BENCH RIP NOT BECAUSE HE’S NOT GOOD, BUT WE WOULD BENEFIT BETTER WITH DYESS OR MAXIE STARTING.

Here’s a thought. One thing the pistons have done right is draft the last few years so why don’t they trade AI for some some picks. They don’t need so many guards right now and some of thier players are getting old so why not get more youth for the future. Some teams may want a veteran over some youth so I could see someone doing it. Something needs to be done but trading rip is not the answer anymore but AI has lived that nickname down thast few years. Let him go to a team that needs someone like him. He needs to be here for the future.

The loss to the Thunder was awful, but the most recent loss to the Hornets didn’t bother me all that much. They seemed to at least be into the game for the first time in a bit and Maxiell finally got some time. If the Pistons play that hard and have that much energy, particularly on the boards, they will win most nights. Chauncey is certainly playing better than Iverson right now, but I think Iverson’s attitude as far as hating losing these regular season games and getting upset can be better than Chauncey’s don’t worry about we are fine look at things.

I agree with all this. although i disagree, with the question of why Jason isnt playing. Jason’s not playing cause he hasn’t played in character all season long. Idk why any one would want to see him on the floor more. Im getting tired of his 15 foot, fading, 180 jump hooks.

J-Max is at a .531 FG% this year. While I agree that many of the the times when he shoots those jumpers, it’s out of character for him, but he’s trying to expand his game and has worked on his shot. He can hit that jumper when he’s feeling it.

Maxiell doesn’t shoot that jumper and look for it on every trip down the floor — he knows he’s not in the game for offense. He’s in the game for defense, rebounding, and shot blocking, all things he does very, very well. He proves he deserves playing time every time he steps onto the court and swats a shot attempt, or hustles down a rebound out of the air over a seven foot center.

Hello. Everything that needed to be said, has already been said. I’m just here to express my support for this great team.
I’m from Portugal and I’m a huge fan of the NBA. Also, I recently became a huge fan of the Pistons.
Frankly, I think the Pistons got one of the best teams in the whole damn league. They’ve got a mad line-up and an incredible bench to support. From what I’ve seen in the last years in the NBA, that’s not that common.
So yes, I am here to show my disappointment with the coach, because there are no logical reasons for this team to fail.
I don’t think getting a new coach is the solution because that could cause a great amount of instability that would lead to even worse results. I’m just asking to get it together and bring the damn title home. The team is more than capable of that.

Sorry if my english is not the best.
Sincerely,
#1 Portuguese Pistons Fan

Stuckey, Hamilton, Prince, Maxiell and Sheed. Mcdyess and Iverson off the bench. Play the bench or get rid of them for some players coach curry will play. Get it together Curry or get the axe…I personally never wanted LB to leave, two finals appearances in 2 years, we would definantly have more than one championship if Coach Brown stayed around.

But having a mix of both sides of the argument is better than just a one sided argument.

Though I kinda wish there was more we could do than post what we think. But it’s not like we can contact Joe D or the players. And Keith Langlois just shoots down every idea a fan sends in which is kinda annoying.

Jay Rizzle
Maxiell plays so hard it’s better for him to come off the bench. Even bench minutes can be taxing on Max. If you remember last year there were quite a few times where Max fell out of the rotation because he was running on empty and had to be refueled. Don’t know what starters minutes will do. But since Sheed is so close to his 15th tech. I think we’ll be seeing a lot more Maxiell in the second half of the season

Don’t forget that Max is bailing out the team on a short clock most of the time. How many plays do you think are called for him? Hes not a selfish guy, but atleast hes not afraid to get involved. Remember when Tay and Memo first played, they we’re afraid to shoot. You have to get involved sometime or play overseas. FIRE CURRY NOW. Hopefully when we lose to Memphis Joe will Axe him.

I could only see good Chemistry in our old starting lineup with Chaunce replaced by Stuckey, we had a solid series against Magic in this lineup last year in PO. Ai should be the one to sit, he should do this sacrifice for the team, and bring some good number off the bench.

It’s obviously a failed experiment. No I’m not talking about small ball, I’m talking about Michael Curry as head coach of the Pistons.

I never thought I’d yearn for the days of predictable Carlisle offense, or cliche Brown “play the right way” sound bites or dare I even say, Flip’s mullet.

I miss all the above. Shit, I miss Alvin frickin’ Gentry!!!

Michael, you were a hard working serviceable reserve that had no business starting a single game in your career, yet you convinced the world of basketball that you were cerebral in your approach. Well you may have an MBA, you may have been president of the player’s association (all wonderful achievements) but you are NOT FIT TO BE A HEAD COACH IN THE LEAGUE LET ALONE THE DETROIT PISTONS!!!

Please Joe, do the right thing, don’t let this guy kill whatever mojo is left in your future starters – namely Amir and Max. AI and Sheed are gone next year. Rip is probably going to get shipped out…start fresh. Bring in Eddie Jordan, or give Jeff Van Gundy the keys to the castle to come to Detroit.

This letter is very well said. They should let AI come from the bench and be with Maxiell and Mcdyess. He will be the Ginobili of the East. Along with those two and Afflalo or Hermann, they can be considered as the best bench in the NBA. So PLEASE MR. CURRY PROVE TO US JUST WHAT JOE D TELLS US WHO YOU ARE! BE SMART!

Firing Curry at this point would do more harm than good. I am not totally convinced he is the problem. When Chauncey was here, we had great floor leadership, a person who could create opportunities for the other players, and direct like no other. That has never been the strong suit of AI. He is a pure scorer, not a leader. Perhaps if Hamilton stepped up as a leader, or Tay, or Sheed…yeah, right. We have too many young players to not have a “General” on the floor. Sheed seems to have lost heart. Rip seems to have lost faith in himself, and Tay can only do so much. He doesn’t have the presence of Chauncey.

As a fan, I feel that we are being ripped off by lack of effort and heart. I watch every game, only to see them go soft somewhere in the middle. Can anyone really remember the last time we had an 8 second violation?!? Really??? That was ridiculous. There is no sense of urgency, no forcing their will on the other team… no heart. Too comfortable with what has been accomplished, and not caring as much as they used to.
Dammit.

Before this five game skid, we didn’t have Rip or Sheed on the floor and we had a two guard lineup. And who knew, we were winning. I don’t think Iverson’s the problem. I think the problem is Coach Curry’s decision to run a three guard lineup. We have always been a defensive team, but with having a three guard lineup it is much more difficult to be one. I think that we should bench Rip, especially since he said that he would do anything for the team, and make him our Manu. Bring him off the bench and give him about 30 min a game. This would help us in two ways, one putting Tayshaun, our best defender back on guys like LeBron, and two, by having another bigman down low to grab the boards.

I also forgot to mention the fact that while Stuckey and Iverson was the back court, both of them played really well, especially Rodney Stuckey. With Rip back in the lineup he hasn’t played near as well.

I can’t believe someone said they miss Alvin Gentry. See what you’re doing Curry. I miss Ron Rothstein and Doug Collins. If we’re going to lose, I want to know we’re going to lose. Give Greg Kessler credit for being the first one to call Curry out on the inconsistant rotation. Its good to know someone has finally found they’re rocks and stated they’re opinion.

Who is ‘Whatsittoya Says’ and why are they even reading this blog? Natalie, apologies for thinking you wrote the letter. Perhaps it should have been prefaced better. I still disagree with the tone and don’t think it should have been posted. But, boy, did it stir up a debate here.

hey guys – i dont know if anyone has said this in the above comments, but i really think the following is a great solution to our pistons problems.
You see, the pistons were winning and playing great D with a traditional big lineup, because really, with that line up, they have a better chance of out rebounding opponents, and everything else that comes with big bodies.
Now that Rip is back, a high volume scorer, it obviously isnt going to be golden when another high volume attack scorer like AI is playing next to him. Now, i was talking to a guy who assistant coaches at some community college, and he said the following to me and i agree and think everyone who reads this will also. You see, A.I shines when he has the green light to create and score for himself. He crumples in a un-selfish pistons philosophy. So what he said was, if A.I comes off the bench with the 2nd line, with players like Afflalo and Maxiell, who arent exactly offensive wizards, A.I can do his thing, and it would make our 2nd line that much stronger. This would give us a “Manu-esque” situation, and god knows it worked for San Antonio.

and by the way, i agree with all the people who said Curry has to go. It’s not that he doesnt have the potential to be a great coach, it’s just he really is not experienced enough that is going through the kind of change that comes with trading star guards. Especially when the star guards in question are so different in their game play.